


Adoption Papers

by theguineapig3



Series: Adoption Papers [1]
Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Post-Zaude and Post-Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:47:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21624784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theguineapig3/pseuds/theguineapig3
Summary: Raven had always feared he’d become a father because of something stupid he did while drunk... he just didn’t expect it to happen like this. A story about Raven and Karol.
Relationships: Karol Capel & Raven
Series: Adoption Papers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708711
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	Adoption Papers

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a variety of things, but I'm pleased with how it all came together. I've written a oneshot about big-brothers Yuri and Flynn, so I wanted to write something for dad Raven too. Karol deserves all the love and support from his family.

The door to Raven’s office was closed.

It was unusual; as long as Raven had worked for Altosk, his door had always been open for friends and visitors alike. Harry knew he could drop in whenever he needed encouragement or advice for issues he didn’t want to bring to his grandfather. The frightening specter in the sky and its effects on the people of Dahngrest were more a problem to discuss with the Don, but… Harry couldn’t talk things over with his grandfather anymore. So that night, when he couldn’t sleep, he sought out Raven.

The office, which normally had music playing on the gramophone and the chatter of other Altosk members, was now quiet and still. The only thing that assured Harry that Raven was present was the dim light coming from underneath the door. Cautiously, he gripped the knob and turned it, pushing the door open just a crack.

“Raven…?”

Raven was sitting at his desk, hunched over a piece of paper with a pen in one hand. At first, Harry thought he was sleeping with his head against the paper, but no, he was just leaning in so close that his nose was touching the page. All around him, stacks of paper were strewn haphazardly across the desk’s surface as though they’d been blown about by an unexpected gust of wind and hadn’t been tidied up. Since Raven hadn’t acknowledged him, Harry reached out to tidy one of the stacks-

“Don’t. Touch.”

Harry jumped back in surprise as Raven turned to face him. He set the pen down and rose from his chair, unsteady on his feet as he continued.

“D’ya just…? Just…? Walk inta an art museum and start touchin’ the paintings? Rearranging the sculptures?” Raven put his hands on Harry’s cheeks and turned his head. “Look at this, boy. Look at it. It’s  _ art _ . Ya don’t. Touch. Art.”

Raven’s hands- his sleeves, maybe?- smelled like alcohol. It overwhelmed Harry and he drew back, examining Raven’s face. Even in the dim light, he could see a distinct reddish tint to Raven’s cheeks.

“A-are you drunk?” Harry stammered.

Raven turned around and staggered back into his chair. “I,” he began, throwing his hands up, “have a process.” 

“...a process…?” Harry looked over the papers on Raven’s desk, examining them with a closer eye. They were all forms that he vaguely recognized from his childhood, sitting in his grandfather’s lap while his grandfather read over Altosk paperwork, occasionally letting Harry use the big red stamp of approval. Personnel forms, vacation and travel requests, incident reports- there was a little of everything in the pile. “Raven, it’s the end of the month. These are due tomorrow. And you’re  _ drunk _ ?”

Raven let out a long, slow sigh. “Oh, my boy… let me tell ya a little ‘bout my process.” He motioned to the chair on the other side of the desk, and Harry reluctantly sat down. “Y’see, me’n paperwork don’t exactly get along. I tend ta overthink things, make ‘em more complicated than they need ta be. Art ain’t about overthinkin’- art needs ta  _ flow.  _ Get it?”

This was not the conversation Harry wanted to have, but he knew that if he didn’t reply, Raven would probably just keep going. “...yes, I suppose I get it.”

“So I gotta, y’know, quiet those inhibitions,” Raven continued. “I wait ‘til the end’a the month, then I drink just enough ta get my artistic side flowin’. Power my way through the papers, turn ‘em all in at once, and then forget the whole thing ever happened. It ain’t failed me yet!”

Harry felt himself staring. “You… do this every month?”

“Every month fer  _ years _ now. Your grandpa never minded. It’s been a win fer everybody.” Raven dug into one of his desk drawers and pulled out a flask, handing it across to Harry. “You wanna help me out?”

“I’m sixteen.”

“Good. It’ll go ta yer head faster.”

Harry pushed the flask away, and Raven took another swig before returning it to the drawer. “Suit yerself. Ya need somethin’ else?”

There was a pause. Harry took a deep breath, having lost what he’d planned to say and needing to collect his thoughts. “I just…” he began. “...I don't know. I couldn't sleep, and I just needed somebody to talk to.”

Raven eyed him skeptically. “If ya  _ really  _ wanna talk ta people, you should show up to the succession meetings.”

“I-I can't-!” Harry turned away. “I can't talk to the other members of Altosk. After what happened, they…”

“C’mon, kid. Ya know they don't blame you.”

“Exactly! That's the problem!” Harry stood up, fighting back the urge to slam his hand on the desk. “They’re not willing to hold me accountable like an adult! They just  _ pity  _ me! And I don't want to be  _ pitied _ !”

Raven leaned back in his desk chair, tapping his pen against the edge of the desk. “I don't think it’s pity, kid. I think they're worried about ya. In a situation like yours, when ya lose somebody close to ya, somebody you looked up to, it's easy ta feel alone. But you're not alone, and they want you ta know that.”

Harry looked at Raven, examining his features in an attempt to see where the advice was coming from. Was Raven lying to make him feel better? Alcohol usually made people looser with the truth. He was probably as genuine now as he’d ever be.

“Maybe you're right. But it's hard to accept their feelings. I don't want to admit it, but I'm scared. And that makes me feel so weak.”

To his surprise, Raven let out a laugh. “Weak? The hell are you talking about? It ain’t weak ta be scared. I'm scared all the time. Hell, I'm scared right now.”

“Right now?”

“Terrified.”

Harry noted the sudden change in Raven’s posture, his shoulders tensed up. “...what are you scared of?” he asked, glancing around the room and wondering if he should be scared too. Maybe Raven was hallucinating, but he didn't want to chance it. The answer, however, was much more serious than a hallucination.

“I’m scared,” Raven began, running one hand through his hair, “that Yuri isn't coming back.”

“Yuri?” Harry asked, recalling the name. “That's the man who… who…  _ helped  _ Grandpa, isn't he?”

“Damn right. And Karol thinks he's dead. Can you believe that? Dead! As if a guy with Yuri’s resolve would just up and die-!” Raven seemed to remember who he was talking to and calmed down a little. “I've tried ta convince Karol not to give up on him. But in the end, I think… I think Karol  _ wants  _ to believe he’s dead. It's better than the alternative.”

“...the alternative?”

Raven closed his eyes. “If Yuri’s alive out there somewhere, he should've at least reached out. A letter, a visit,  _ somethin’ _ . But it's been weeks. If he hasn't come back now, it may be because he doesn't  _ wanna  _ come back. And fer Karol ta come to terms with the fact that Yuri doesn't  _ want  _ him… the poor kid’s better off mourning him, honestly.”

Harry averted his gaze, taken off-guard by the sadness in Raven’s eyes. Of course Raven had his own troubles to deal with. Everyone did. As difficult as it was to see him this way, it gave Harry a sense of reassurance too. 

“Is there anything you can do?” he asked. Raven shook his head in reply.

“It ain't like I can run out and bring Yuri back myself. There’s no tellin’ where he's gone, and I've got crap ta do here. But it  _ kills  _ me ta see poor Karol so torn up about this. He’s such a bright kid, strong, talented, hardworking… but he can't handle the thought of being unwanted. He can't handle being alone. No kid should have ta be alone-!”

On the last word, Raven banged a hand against the top of the desk. It sent one of the piles of paper toppling over, forms flying about into the floor. Raven dropped his pen with a gasp.

“My art!” he yelped, dropping to his knees and scrambling to collect the forms. “No, no, they're all outta order. Let’s see- this one was first, then, uh…”

Harry knelt down beside him and reached for some papers, but Raven scolded him again.

“What part’a 'don't touch’ is lost on you?!”

Harry sighed and stood up. The conversation had at least succeeded in getting his mind off things. “Then I'll leave you to your art, I guess.”

Raven said nothing, so Harry made his way back to the door. He paused before stepping into the hallway, however, and looked back.

“But you should remember… Karol isn't alone. He has you.”

As Harry closed the door, he heard the faint sound of Raven’s whispered voice.

“...he has me… he has  _ me _ …”

* * *

Karol led the way up the steps and around the side of the headquarters building to get to the official records department. Yuri and Repede followed, shuffling their way slowly through the unfamiliar hall to compensate for the dim lighting. The Union was recovering well from the loss of blastia power, but the electricity still wasn't what it used to be, and some of the poorly lit buildings had been turned into accidental obstacle courses. Thankfully, Karol had walked the hall many times before, and Yuri could follow behind him with little trouble.

“Welcome! What can I help you with today?”

The woman at the desk was cheerful- probably a new recruit from the librarian guild eager to show off her skills for the Union. Karol returned the cheerful smile as he spoke.

“We’re filling out guild paperwork and need to access some medical records.”

The woman’s smile didn't waver. “Are these your records?”

“Yes ma’am. Last name Capel, first name Karol.”

The woman disappeared into the back room, where she could be heard rummaging through the file cabinets repeating the name ‘Capel’ to herself. Yuri watched Karol’s expression as he waited with a hint of nervousness. He’d never actually seen most of his records, he’d admitted. The orphanage took care of everything until Karol left to join a guild… or three, or fifteen. That's why they needed to double-check on some fields for Brave Vesperia’s paperwork. Identification numbers, immunization history, even official date of birth- Karol didn't have a copy of anything. When he was just joining existing guilds, his letter of recommendation from the orphanage was enough. But establishing a new guild, especially one in his name, required much more information. Raven had sent him to the records department while he worked on the renovations at their new guild office, and Yuri had tagged along just to make sure everything went smoothly. Repede sat by his side and sniffed the air, curious about the smell of all the paper, and perked up when he heard the woman’s footsteps returning. 

“Here’s the file,” she said, placing the folder on the countertop. “Since you’re a minor, I’m going to need your father’s permission to release the forms.” She looked up to Yuri with an expectant expression, and he waved his hands dismissively.

“Oh, n-no, I’m not-”

“My parents are dead. You should see that documented in the forms.” Karol said it with a professional air, but Yuri could hear the nervousness in his voice.

The woman paused and glanced at the form again. “Oh, I… I’m very sorry. Permission from your legal guardian is all we need.” She looked up at Yuri again. “I, uh, take it you’re  _ not  _ Mister Raven?”

“Raven?” Yuri repeated and looked to Karol only to see that he seemed just as confused as Yuri was. “He’s Karol’s legal guardian? Since when?”

The woman shuffled through the file. “I have a copy of the adoption papers right here. They were submitted seven months ago as of the first of next month and were approved about two months later. Is… there a problem?”

“I…” Karol began and then stopped. “You're  _ certain  _ those are adoption papers?”

“Yes.”

“And it was Raven who filled them out and got them approved?”

“I-” The woman began to sound unsure of herself. “-I'm sorry, do I have the wrong file?”

Karol started to answer, but Yuri cut him off. “No, no! We just, uh, hadn’t heard that they were approved. Guess it got lost in the mail. We’ll go have a  _ talk  _ with Karol’s dad and come back later.”

Yuri put his hands on Karol’s shoulders and steered him out of the room before he could ask any more questions. Repede ran in ahead of them, pacing back and then dashing forward again as though worried by their sudden departure. Karol was wide-eyed, still trying to process it. 

“Adoption papers…  _ adoption  _ papers? For  _ me _ ?”

“And not only did he not ask you, he didn't even  _ say  _ anything,” Yuri grumbled, “he didn’t even  _ tell  _ you. You think he’d at least have the tact to say ‘ _ hey Karol, I’m your dad now, that’s cool, right _ ?”

Karol stared up at the sky. “...my dad…” he murmured to himself. Yuri sighed and shook his head.

“I know it’s weird, but I’m sure he’ll have some sort of explanation for us. Seven months ago was…” he paused, his voice trailing off as he counted back. “...that was right after Zaude, when I was still recovering in the Lower Quarter. Do you remember anything that might’ve prompted him to do this?”

“I didn’t have anywhere to go, so he brought me to live with him in his apartment on North Street,” Karol answered, still staring at the sky while he spoke. Repede noticed and walked in front of him to make sure that he wouldn’t run into anything. “It didn’t seem like he was trying to make it a permanent arrangement, though. He slept on the couch and complained about neck pain the whole time. But it’s possible there was some sort of advantage to being my guardian, considering I was living in his house. Maybe a tax thing?”

“Tax thing…” Yuri muttered. “Sounds awful. I know he's not a beacon of virtue, but after what happened with Schwann I just can’t imagine he’d  _ use _ you like that.”

Karol lowered his gaze from the sky back down to the cobbles under his feet. He ran his fingers over the fabric of his bag strap as he spoke. “I can’t either. I was feeling pretty lost around that time. I was scared you were dead, and I didn’t know what I was going to do, what would happen to Brave Vesperia. Maybe he wanted to make sure I didn’t end up alone if you never came back.”

“He knew I was alive, though.”

“But still…” 

Karol’s voice trailed off, and Yuri didn’t push it. He could tell Karol was struggling with the memory, the way he drew closer and put one hand against Yuri’s arm. They walked the rest of the way to the guild office in silence.

When they arrived, Raven was working in the main reception room. He was on a ladder over the fireplace, hanging a sign with the guild’s insignia, and barely noticed the others walk in, too preoccupied with getting the sign to hang straight. When he was finally satisfied, he hopped down the ladder and took a step back, frowning.

“...dammit all, I just can’t get it centered. What d’you guys think? It’s a little too far ta the left, isn’t it-?”

He seemed to notice Yuri and Karol’s serious expressions and stopped abruptly, looking back and forth between them as if to ask what was going on. Repede whined, and Yuri put his hands on Karol’s shoulders, pushing him toward Raven.

“Your  _ son _ has some questions for you.”

The corners of Raven’s mouth twitched. “My…  _ what _ ?”

“You son. Or ‘ward,’ I guess, if you’d rather consider yourself more of a detached legal guardian. But he at least deserves to know what’s going on.”

Raven stepped away from the ladder, shaking his head. “Is this a joke or somethin’? ‘Cause I’m definitely missin’ the punchline here.”

“Raven, we… we…” Karol began. “...we found out about the adoption papers when we went to the records office. I can’t get access to my records without your permission. Why didn’t you tell me?”

There was a pause, and Raven’s expression fell from somewhat amused to completely baffled. “Okay, I genuinely don’t know what we’re talkin’ about. What’s this about adoption papers? Who’s bein’ adopted here?”

“Karol!” Yuri broke in. “By you! Don’t you remember any of this?”

“I…” Raven took a step back, glancing between them again in concern. “...I genuinely don’t remember. And this seems like the sorta thing I’d  _ definitely  _ remember.”

Yuri started towards him to say something else, but Karol put a hand in front of him to stop him. “The lady at the records office said that you submitted the adoption papers seven months ago,” Karol explained in a calm, quiet voice. “That was after Zaude, when Yuri was still recovering and we didn’t know if he’d be back. I was staying at your apartment. You didn’t try to adopt me for some sort of property or tax benefit, did you-?”

“What? Why the hell would I do that?!” Raven demanded. “That’s absurd! Besides, it takes months for those sorta things to get approved.”

“The forms were submitted on the first of the month,” Yuri offered. “Does that help at all?”

Raven grabbed one of the chairs from the table, turning it around so he could sit in it. “First of the month, huh?” he murmured. “That’s when the Altosk work was always due. I wonder… no… it can’t be…”

“Can’t be what?” Karol asked, sitting down in the chair next to him. “Do you remember something now?”

“I, uh…” Raven ran a nervous hand through his hair. “...okay, now this is gonna sound irresponsible, but you’ve gotta stick with me. I have a method for paperwork. It’s a  _ process _ .”

“Okay.” Karol nodded.

“I don’t do well with paperwork. It trips me up, makes me overthink everything. It can take forever if I don’t do somethin’ ta calm my brain down. So I save all my paperwork for the night before the deadline, I have a few drinks ta take the edge off, and I-”

“You go over important Altosk paperwork while  _ drunk _ ?!” Yuri interrupted, and Raven jumped to his feet.

“Not drunk! Just, y’know,  _ tipsy _ . Enough ta make the work go smoothly and not remember it in the morning.”

“Not remember? That’s drunk, Raven!” Yuri grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “So what you’re saying is that you approve important paperwork while you’re blackout drunk-”

“I  _ never _ black out. The Don didn’t care and Alexei never caught on. That’s how good I am.”

Yuri threw up his hands. “Not good enough to keep from filing adoption paperwork for a kid you’d never even discussed the idea with in the first place!”

“I-!” Released from Yuri’s grip, Raven scrambled back. “Listen to me. That was a tough time. I knew you were alive somewhere out there, but I didn’t know where or why you hadn’t reached out. Karol was scared.  _ I  _ was scared. If you hadn’t come back to us, maybe you didn’t want to. And what was I supposed ta do for Karol? He was all alone in the world. Maybe the idea of adoption crossed my mind, but I was in no position ta be a good father, and… and…” He began to pace, waving his hands back and forth as he did so. “This process has always worked, provided I was never disturbed while doing my paperwork. No one ever wanted ta bother Schwann, and the ol’ Don normally kept people outta my office on the last day’a the month. But that particular month was, well… not normal. Somebody could’a easily wandered inta my office and struck up a conversation. And if my tongue was as loose as my writin’ hand, I probably would’a talked about my worries, gotten worked up, the whole shebang. And maybe- just maybe- I might’a recklessly added in some extra paperwork ta make sure that… that… Karol wouldn’t end up alone.” He sighed and sat back down in the chair. “I know what it means ta be alone in the world. And I’d never,  _ ever _ want that for Karol.”

There was a pause, and he leaned over the table so that he could put his hand over Karol’s. 

“What I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have done that without tellin’ you, and I DEFINITELY shouldn’t have forgotten all about it the next mornin’. But whatever I did, I did because I was worried about you. I would  _ never _ take advantage of you. I promise you that.”

Karol smiled and gripped Raven’s hand. “I never thought you would. I was just sad that you hadn’t told me. To know that you were so worried about me… that makes me happy. Thank you.”

The atmosphere in the room warmed, and Yuri stifled a laugh as he saw Repede’s tail begin to wag. But he wasn’t fully satisfied yet.

“This is sweet and all, but it doesn’t change anything. Raven is still considered Karol’s legal guardian. Is there anything we can do about that?”

“Yes- yes! That’s right!” Raven let go of Karol’s hands, slamming one hand on the table as he stood up. “We can  _ totally  _ fix this! I mean, we may need ta play along fer a little while until the guild is fully established, but once that’s done, the emancipation process for a guild-affiliated minor is  _ real  _ easy. Just a few signatures from the guild members and both of us, and you’ll be yer own man. And I promise I won’t get drunk this time.”

“Uh, that’s-” Karol began, but Yuri began speaking at the same time. 

“We still need you to approve Karol’s access to the forms. You’ll have to go back to the records office with him.”

“Aw, but I wanted ta be here ta welcome the ladies!”

“If you leave now, you’ll make it back by the time they get here. Probably.”

“But-”

Karol stood up, clearing his throat and stepping in between them. “Listen, um, I appreciate the help, but if we have to wait until the guild is established anyway, then I really don’t think there’s a need to… y’know… I mean…” He blushed and looked away. “Even if the whole adoption thing was a mistake, I… don’t really mind it.”

Yuri and Raven went quiet, staring at him. He looked embarrassed, almost scared, and Yuri felt a sudden pang of regret at his earlier insistence. Raven seemed to be having trouble understanding what Karol was saying, and his blank expression prompted Karol to begin again.

“I-I’m sorry! I'm sure this is a lot of responsibility, and I don’t mean to force that on you-”

Raven went stiff. “ _ You  _ force it on  _ me _ ? The hell are you talking about?” He leaned down and put his hands on Karol’s shoulders. “You know me. You know I’m not good at a lotta  things . You’re my friend and my boss, and that’s not gonna change. But if you wanna be my son too, then… then I’ll work hard ta be the best father I can be. Drunk or not, I  _ never  _ would’a signed those papers if I wasn’t willing to do that.”

Karol’s eyes filled with tears. “Raven-!” he choked, throwing his arms around Raven’s neck. Raven pulled him into a hug and lifted him off the floor, swinging him around before putting him back down with a pained grunt.

“Geez, kid, you’re gettin’ heavy. One more growth spurt and I won’t be able ta do that anymore.”

Yuri noticed Repede’s tail wagging even faster now, and he couldn’t fight a smile himself. “Sounds like we ought to celebrate. Or- is it a little late, considering the whole thing was approved five months ago?”

“A celebration!” Karol pulled away. “Oh, can we? With Estelle and Rita visiting, it’s the perfect time for it!”

“Yeah!” Raven agreed. “You could bake a cake!”

“You don’t even like cake.”

“It’s fer the kids, Yuri-!”

“I can’t bake a cake in the next thirty minutes,” Yuri shot back, though he relaxed as he saw Karol’s expression drop. “...but I could always  _ buy  _ one. There’s that new bakery around the corner.”

A sparkle of excitement returned to Karol’s eyes. “Really? Oh, thank you, Yuri!” He turned and grabbed Raven’s hands. “C’mon, c’mon, let’s go get those forms! The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get back to everyone!”

“H-hey, at least lemme grab my coat…”

It wasn’t long before the two had disappeared down the street, and Yuri and Repede were left to their own devices. Yuri finished hanging the guild sign and put the ladder away before he led Repede over to the bakery so he could buy a cake- and a few dog treats too, of course. By the time Judith returned to the guild office with their guests, Yuri was already in the kitchen putting up decorations. They were just some streamers that the guild had used the month before for Judith’s surprise birthday party, but they added a festive air to the otherwise cluttered space. Judith laughed when she saw it, stopping in the doorway to admire the sight while Estelle and Rita examined the cake on the table.

“What are we celebrating?” Judith asked. Estelle read off the cake as though answering, but it was more of a question in itself.

“... _ Congratulations, it’s a boy? _ Who had a baby?”

“Raven,” Yuri answered, not even turning away from the streamers. Rita groaned.

“Dammit, I knew it was only a matter of time for that old pervert-”

“He’s joking,” Judith assured her, making eye contact with Yuri and noting the amusement in his eyes. “What’s the real story?”

Yuri secured the last of the streamers and turned back around to the group. “I had to improvise a little with the cake,” he answered. “There wasn’t time to bake my own, and the bakery didn’t have one on hand that said ‘ _ congratulations on officially adopting your guild boss. _ ”

Estelle gasped. “Raven and Karol…? Oh, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for them!”

“What prompted this?” Rita asked, her critical expression a sharp contrast to Estelle’s happy tears. 

“Yes, I wasn’t even aware he had turned in the paperwork,” Judith agreed, though she was smiling the same way Estelle was. “Was he trying to keep it a secret?”

Yuri laughed. “Yeah! It was a secret from all of us, including Raven. He got drunk, filled out the paperwork, and completely forgot about it.”

“Are you  _ serious _ -?!” Rita leaned over the table. “And you’re celebrating this?!”

“Karol wanted to celebrate. Who was I to argue with that?” Yuri approached Rita and patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t look so jealous. I’m sure that if you get Raven drunk enough, he’d be willing to adopt you too.”

Rita shot back up, pulling herself away from Yuri. “Wh-wh-what are you talking about? Jealous? Like I’d ever want to be family with that stupid old man-!”

That was what she said, but Yuri noticed she was unusually eager to refill Raven’s glass that night.


End file.
